U.S. Ryder Cup team beginning to take shape

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If the U.S. Ryder Cup team had been finalized on Sunday after the Buick Open, there would be six 2008 PGA TOUR champions among the eight automatic qualifiers.

No. 3 Phil Mickelson and Kenny Perry, who moved from sixth to fourth with his victory at Warwick Hills, each have two victories. Tiger Woods, who is sidelined by knee surgery, is the season's only other multiple winner with four.

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Kenny Perry is No. 4 in the Ryder Cup standings.

While he'll sorely miss the No. 1 player in the game, U.S. Captain Paul Azinger appears to be getting his wish to populate his team with Americans who are playing well in the months leading up to the event. No one is hotter than Perry, who has two wins and a playoff loss in his last six starts.

The Ryder Cup will be played Sept. 19-21 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. -- Perry's home state. The U.S. has not won the Cup since 1999.

Stewart Cink, who ranks second in points, won the Travelers Championship two weeks ago. Other 2008 champs are Justin Leonard, the winner of the Stanford St. Jude Championship, Verizon Heritage champ Boo Weekley, and Anthony Kim, who won the Wachovia Championship. The three rank Nos. 6, 7 and 8, respectively, in the U.S. standings, and all those victories have come since mid-April.

Woody Austin, who tied for second at the Buick Open on Sunday, moved from 18th to ninth in the standings. Austin, who was the heart and soul for the Americans at last year's Presidents Cup team, has three top-five finishes this year. Jim Furyk, who is No. 5 in the standings, also has a trio of top-10s this year, including a tie for second at the World Golf Championships-CA Championship.

With Woods on the sideline, players who finish No. 2 through No. 9 in the U.S. standings at the conclusion of the PGA Championship automatically make the team.

Azinger will complete his team with four Captain's Picks on Sept. 2 -- the day after the Deutsche Bank Championship is concluded and two weeks before the Ryder Cup.